Sweet & Simple: Easy Pumpkin Oreos
Posted: September 30, 2011 Filed under: Candy, Cookies, Dessert, Holiday, Snacks, Sweet & Simple, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: Cookie, dessert, finger food, food, Halloween, Oreos, party, pumpkin, snack 15 Comments »
Are you in need of an easy and sweet spooky treat? Then these grinning jack-o-lantern Oreos are for you! The classic sandwich cookie gets all dressed up in a pumpkin costume for Halloween! They’re perfect for Halloween parties & handing out to trick-or-treaters for several reasons:
- They look so cute and festive, but they’re cake to make.
- They’re made from a delicious cookie that everyone loves, made better with a white chocolate coating!
- Finger foods = perfect party munching!
You can whip the white chocolate glaze up in minutes, so these Oreos are as easy as they are tasty! It’s a fancy and festive snack without all of the fuss.
So, saddle up with your Halloween spirit and whip up these cute & delicious, white chocolate-drenched Oreos. You’ll be feeling spooky in no time!
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The Best Eggplant Parmigiana
Posted: September 28, 2011 Filed under: Dinner, Italian, The Smart Cookie Cook, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tags: casserole, cheese, dinner, eggplant, eggplant parmesan, food, italian, tomato sauce, vegetarian 34 Comments »
I know, you see the words “the best” and you’re like, “Psh. Yeah, okay.” Well, “the best” is certainly quite a claim to make, one that I don’t take lightly. Declaring something as “the best” is like saying “I love you;” you don’t just go tossing it around. But unfortunately, many people do. That is why we don’t always take such phrases as seriously as we should.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to launch into a lecture. I’m just trying to make clear that I mean business! This is some seriously good stuff, the best I’ve ever had. If you don’t believe me, then try it for yourself. I’m sure, after just one bite, you’ll agree!
This is a really special dish. My mom first made it for me, which makes it all the more near and dear to my heart. I usually like to do the recipe-testing, but it’s nice to have my mother make something special for me once and a while. Even better is when we cook together, as we did tonight. Those are the kinds of memories I’ll carry forever.
But enough about me. I like to spare you little cookies of the personal details in my life (like what I did today and how cute my dog is, etc.), because that’s not what this is about. It’s about the food. I do hope, however, that in sharing my personal attachment to this dish, you will better understand why it’s so sublime.
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Healthy Cookie: Classic Creme Brulee (104 calories!)
Posted: September 27, 2011 Filed under: Dessert, Healthy, Low-Cal, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: creme brulee, custard, dessert, diet, food, healthy, low calorie, low fat, Sugar, sweets 6 Comments »
Creme brulee is a sultry, sophisticated dessert. It frequents fancy restaurant menus and romantic dinners for two. It’s creamy and luscious in the middle with a crisp, golden brown sugar topping that offers a satisfying crackle to each bite. Its flavor is not complex, just classic, indulgent vanilla. With that caramelized sugar top, creme brulee is an impressive and divine dessert.
The funny thing about creme brulee is that it’s actually insanely simple to make. You whip up the custard (super easy), bake it until it sets (cake), then top it with the sugar and caramelize it (simple). The best part is, you can make the custards ahead of time then refrigerate until you’re ready to serve! You can choose to wait until serving to top them with the sugar or do it before refrigeration; it doesn’t matter.
Oh wait…I forgot. There’s a major downside to creme brulee: it’s not calorie-friendly.
Or at least, it wasn’t. Thanks to that genius Hungry Girl, we can now enjoy all the creamy, heavenly indulgence of a creme brulee without the guilt. These creme brulees are only 104 calories each! Yes, 104 calories! Try and tell me that’s not insanely awesome. And they’re SO GOOD. They have a perfect creamy texture plus a beautiful crackling sugar topping. If no one told you it was low-cal, you’d never know. It’s as good as any other creme brulee out there. You need this in your life.
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Healthy Cookie: Kickin’ Italian Veggie Skillet (140 Calories)
Posted: September 26, 2011 Filed under: Dinner, Healthy, Italian, Low-Cal, Side Dish, The Smart Cookie Cook, Vegetarian | Tags: broccoli slaw, dinner, food, Garlic, healthy, italian, low calories, low fat, side dish, tomato, vegetables 7 Comments »
It’s been scientifically proven that we eat with our eyes first. Well then, it’s a good thing that this dish is so colorful. Your eyes will greedily eat up my Kickin’ Italian Veggie Skillet, and then your mouth will happily follow. You see, it’s not just this skillet’s appearance that’s colorful; there is a rainbow of flavors working together here as well. Wonderful garlic, sweet tomatoes, spicy red pepper flakes, robust onion, and salty parmesan. The elite Italian seasonings came together to make one incredible dish that sings with flavor. Your mouth will go nuts (in a very good way).
Perhaps as awesome as this veggie skillet’s flavor is its fabulous texture. The secret is the broccoli slaw upon which the recipe is built. It cooks down to acquire a slight softness, but still packs some crazy crunch in every bite. Then you get the smooth marinara sauce as well. It’s crunchy, tasty, and amazing.
And did I mention you can eat HALF of this entire ginormous pot of vivacious veggies for only 140 CALORIES?
Sweet Cinnamon Glaze
Posted: September 25, 2011 Filed under: Dessert, The Smart Cookie Cook | Tags: cinnamon, dessert, food, frosting, glaze, icing 5 Comments »
Cinnamon is sweet, sinful, and warm. It’s the coziest spice in existence. But beneath that warmth is a bit of kick, the spicy side of cinnamon. That, my little cookies, is what makes cinnamon such a sultry sweet spice.
We find cinnamon sizzling in all kinds of recipes. But when we really start to see cinnamon starring is during the holiday season. Because of its comforting qualities, the spice is ideal during this time of year when the weather is cool and our spirits are warm. It’s what makes pumpkin pie so delicious, give eggnog an added kick, and makes our Christmas cookies extra special. Without cinnamon, our holidays would be nothing.
So, now that Autumn is upon us, we’ll be seeing a lot more of cinnamon. Yesterday, I made my first official Fall recipe: Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Butterscotch Buttercream Frosting. They were the most delicious, soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookies I’ve ever had. But I’ve got a confession: I doubled that recipe. And I didn’t just top it with the buttercream frosting; I made half with a Sweet Cinnamon Glaze. I’ve got to say, I was shocked. Why? Because I was expecting the Butterscotch Buttercream to be my favorite topping. But that was not the case. As amazing as the buttercream was, this Cinnamon Glaze was even better. It went so perfectly with the Pumpkin Cookies I can’t even describe it. All I can say is, “Wow.”
